


One More Time

by starsystemstories



Category: IDENTITY V
Genre: Aesop is pretty occ, Ballroom Dancing, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff, How Do I Tag, I was craving ice cream when we wrote this, M/M, Mama Mary, Multi, Mute Victor, Roommates, aesop is flustered, dance au, disaster bi Eli, i just don’t care, most of this was written at 1am-3am, sleep? Never heard of her, they are in college, yes I know Aesop is actually taller than Eli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:27:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24844549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsystemstories/pseuds/starsystemstories
Summary: When Aesop hears Mary is hosting a ballroom class, he wants nothing to do with it. But when Mary and Mike force him to go, he gets paired up with a brunet who has the prettiest blue eyes Aesop has ever seen.Aka: Aesop thinks Eli is pretty and vis versa but neither will admit it. There’s also Tonton.[written by sun and moon and edited by stars]
Relationships: Aesop Carl | Embalmer/Eli Clark | Seer, Emily Dyer | Doctor/Emma Woods | Gardener, Mary | Bloody Queen/Michiko | Geisha, Norton Campbell | Prospector/Mike Morton | Acrobat, Victor Grantz | Postman/Andrew Kreiss | Grave Keeper
Comments: 5
Kudos: 95





	1. Ballroom Class

“Hey, have you heard? I think Mary is going to start teaching a ballroom class,” Mike suddenly started one day, looking excited at the idea.

He was currently laying on the floor of the mostly empty studio in an oversplit like it was the easiest thing in the world.

Mike was incredibly flexible and Aesop was almost jealous of him. He didn’t have much reason to be though, considering he had his leg held high above his head in a tilt with no problem. 

Aesop raised an eyebrow at his words, “Why would she do that?” He took a moment to switch which leg he held in a heel stretch, wincing slightly as this was his worse side. “It’s not like we’re going to be performing it at a competition.”

“Cuz it’s fun?” Mike laughed, “Anyway, are you done stretching? I wanna get started.”

Aesop nodded and that was the last he heard of the ballroom class.

...Until Mary approached him about it a week later, that is.

“Heyyyy Aesop?” She started. 

She would often watch him practice to give him notes and tips. She was an instructor after all, as well as the head of the academy. Well, technically Jack was in charge but he let Mary make most of the decisions, knowing very little about dance himself. The only reason he was in charge was because he had inherited it. 

But this time during Aesop’s practice session, Mary had something else to discuss.

“Uh oh,” he mumbled, stopping what he was doing to turn and face her. “What is it this time?”

“Just because I’m going to ask you something doesn’t mean it’s anything bad!” She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Aesop rolled his eyes at the overdramatic teacher in red. He wouldn’t have had the confidence to do so if he hadn’t grown so close to the woman. She had become a mother figure of sorts to him. “Well then, what is it?”

“I was wondering if you would come to my new ballroom class!” 

“No,” he shot the idea down with no hesitation.

“Please, Aesop! I promise it will be fun. Oh, and Mike will be there too!”

Aesop sighed, knowing he lost the battle as soon as she mentioned his energetic friend. Mike would drag him there no matter what answer he gave to Mary.

“Fine. But please don’t pair me up with someone I don’t know.” Aesop stated as he slowly started to regret his choice.

“Wonderful!” She clapped her hands together, happy she’d won him over. 

~____________________________________ ~

“Why are we here again?”

Norton was pretty damn sure he wouldn’t do very well in a ballroom class, which is exactly why he had no intention of going. But of course, Eli had other plans.

“Because why not!” Eli frowned at his friend’s unwillingness.

“I can think of a lot of reasons as to why not.” Norton deadpans.

“Come on, just try it, ok? Who knows, maybe you’ll get paired up with a cute girl or guy~”

Norton rolled his eyes, “Sure,” he mumbled.

The students chatted amongst themselves, Mike dragging Aesop along to greet Victor and Andrew who were also taking this class. Mary made her way over to the front of the room in her signature red tank top and black leggings. She managed to make even the most plain of outfits look stunning. 

She cleared her throat before speaking. “Can I have everyone’s attention?” The room fell silent as she continued. “Thank you all for coming, first and foremost. I doubt Jack would be very happy with me if nobody showed up. Anyway, I’m going to pair you up so we can get started!”

She walked through the dancers swiftly, pairing people up by height rather than gender. Aesop was still amazed at how she managed to remember everyone’s names.

He and Mike were on the far right side of the room so they were some of the last to get paired up.

“Mike, you can go with Norton! And Aesop..” she took a moment to scan the room, “you’ll be with Eli.”

Aesop sent a glare Mary’s way. He made a point of not wanting to get paired up with someone he didn’t know. Mary simply smiled at him and continued on. 

To be fair, Aesop and Eli weren’t complete strangers. They had met through Mike once or twice but Aesop barely knew anything about the guy other than the fact that he has a pet owl named Brooke.

Despite knowing him at least a little bit, Aesop was far from comfortable.

“Hey- Aesop, right?” Aesop nodded, a little surprised he even remembered his name. “I’ll be honest, I’ve never done ballroom dancing before.”

“Me neither.”

The two noticed that everyone else was stretching, so they started to do the same. Eli was surprised by Aesop’s flexibility, the poor boy himself could barely do full splits.There honestly wasn’t much need for stretching for ballroom dancing but it was an unbreakable habit all the dancers in the room possessed, Mary included.

Mary invited another teacher into the room, Joseph, so she can demonstrate to her students the right steps, twists, and turns. They played a short tune and started dancing. The others admired how graceful the two were, honestly the students were surprised.

Mike took a short glance up at Norton, from what he sees from Norton’s facial expression, his partner is going to need a lot of help. On the other hand, while focusing on Mary and Joseph, Aesop couldn’t help but feel this mysterious but relaxing aura from Eli, he wanted to be a little more comfortable with him.

After finishing the demonstration, Mary turned back to the class, “It’s really quite easy once you learn the basic steps. But you first have to learn where to rest your hands.” She walked back over to the French teacher. “If you are going to be the lead, place one of your hands on your partner’s hip.” Despite being the shorter one, Mary decided to play the lead this time. “The other one will put their hand on your shoulder and you will hold hands with your other arms and hold them up like so.” Joseph did just that.

“Ok, now you all try!” Mary gestured to the rest of the class.

Aesop was still nervous and Eli could tell. “Do you want me to lead?” He offered. Aesop nodded, thankful for Eli not asking him to do it.

Eli carefully placed his hand on Aesop’s waist as Aesop did the same to his shoulder. Aesop was suddenly glad he had worn his fingerless gloves because his hands started to sweat. They awkwardly stand like this while they wait for Mary to continue.

Meanwhile, Mike and Norton were having a similar conversation.

“You’ve never done ballroom dancing before, right? In that case, I’ll lead.” Mike spoke, maybe a little too quickly.

“Yeah, I don’t know anything about it really. The only reason I’m here is because my friend dragged me along.” Norton pointed to a brunette in a loose, dark blue tank and black leggings.

“Oh! You mean Eli? Yeah, that sounds like something he would do.”

“You know Eli?” Norton asked, surprised.

“Yep! I know his dance partner too. His name is Aesop.” Mike gestured to the gray-haired boy next to Eli. “Anyway, should we get started?”

Norton nodded, hesitantly placing his hand on Mike’s shoulder. Mike smiled reassuringly and put his hand on Norton’s waist before offering him his other hand.

Norton wasn’t sure how to feel about being so close to a guy he just met but he found himself staring at Mike’s cute freckles. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

“Perfect!” Mary cheered, “Now onto the steps!”

The next hour or so went by in a blur. Both Eli and Aesop learned the steps with little to no problems. Although Aesop did step on Eli’s feet once or twice, he apologized profusely even though Eli said it was fine. Eli was glad to see the tension that laced Aesop’s features slowly disappear and he became more relaxed himself. Aesop seemed like a pretty interesting guy and he wanted to get to know him better. Plus he was gorgeous. 

_Wait what? ___

__

Eli shook his head. He shouldn’t shouldn’t be thinking such things. He barely knew Aesop! __

___ _

________ _ _ _ _

_____ _

_____ _

Aesop, oblivious to Eli’s inner thoughts, raised an eyebrow at Eli’s sudden quietness. They had been chatting a bit while they practiced, with Eli doing most of the talking. He now seemed to be lost in thought. However, Aesop didn’t want to pry so he didn’t say anything about it.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Mary clapped her hands together, gathering everyone’s attention. “Alright, it seems our hour is up! You all are free to go. I hope to see you again next week!”

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

“See you next week?” Eli asked as he removed his hands from Aesop. He nodded without really thinking about it and Eli beamed. He waved goodbye before heading off to collect his stuff.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _

Maybe this class wouldn’t be so bad after all.

_____ _

_____ _

_____ _


	2. Blushy Blushy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes for ice cream and we meet the other lesbians.

“Soooooo how did it go with Eli~?” Mike asked, a teasing smile on his face.

Aesop lightly shoved him, not wanting his friend to fall into traffic. They were currently walking to an ice cream place a little off-campus with Victor and Andrew.

“It was fine. What about you and that other guy, what was his name?”

“Norton. And it went well! He was a little clumsy though.” Mike laughed. He turned to Andrew, “What about you two? I didn’t expect you guys to be there.”

Andrew shrugged, “Victor wanted to try it.”

Not a moment later, they arrived at the ice cream place. To their surprise, Norton and Eli were seated at a table with two other guys, one in a green hoodie and the other having his messy brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. A girl in the ice cream place’s uniform was chatting with them.

Emily smiled at them as they walked in. She also went to Identity Dance Academy and saw them every time they came to get ice cream which was quite often. Mike asked, “Who’s the new girl?”

“Oh, you mean Emma? She just started working here today. She seemed to know those guys over there so I let her take her break to chat with them.” Emily explained. “She goes to that other dance school, Oletus I think it’s called?”

“She’s cute,” Mike mused, giving Emily that teasing grin he had given Aesop a few minutes earlier.

Emily’s face flushed, “I-I suppose... So the usual?”

Everyone nodded and Emily smiled, she turned on her heel and walked off to behind the counter. The four boys started a conversation to pass time. Mike got bored and turned around in his seat to the others who were sitting behind them. Mike poked Nortons’ head.

“What- Oh hi Mike.”

Mike smiled, “So what do you think of the new ballroom dance class?”

Norton blushed a bit from Mike’s adorable smile, “I-It was fine, sorry for stepping on your feet so much…” Norton mentally facepalmed for stuttering.

The two tables ended up sitting together and continued to chat. The other two guys were introduced as Naib and Luca, both going to Oletus along with Emma.

“Hey, isn’t that the school Mary’s fiancé works at? Michiko, I think her name was?” Mike commented.

“I didn’t know she was dating anyone, never mind engaged!” Emma replied in surprise. No one else was currently in the store so both girls had joined them.

“Maybe they’ll do a combined class between the two schools or better yet, a dance off.” Luca mused. Victor signed something in response. Andrew was about to translate for him as he usually did but Luca answered back in sign before saying out loud, “I didn’t know you were mute. No wonder I haven’t heard you say a word!”

“You know sign language?” Norton asked, surprised. 

Luca nodded, “Just enough to hold basic conversations.”

After their ice cream and half an hour of chatting, the group of Identity students (save Emily who still had to work) started walking back to the campus together.

“So how do you know Naib and Luca?” Mike asked Norton.

“Naib and I went to high school together and I met Luca through him.”

With Mike and Norton having their own conversation and Victor and Andrew doing the same, Eli decided to start one with Aesop.

“Wouldn’t a dance off between the two schools be fun?”

“I guess… I don’t really like improv though,” Aesop admitted.

Eli tilted his head slightly, “Why not?”

“I get too self-conscious.”

“But you’re an amazing dancer!”

Aesop’s face flushed at the compliment, “When have you ever seen me dance?”

“Oh, I showed him videos from past competitions.” Mike cut in, “He said you were cute.”

“I did not!” Eli shot back.

“Yes you did, Victor and I were there,” Andrew added.

Norton snickered, “Wow Eli, you really are a disaster bi.”

“Shut up,” Eli groaned, covering his face with his hands and ears tinted red.  
~____________________________________ ~

The next time Eli and Aesop saw each other was a week later at the ballroom class. Eli was still incredibly embarrassed and Aesop was flustered.

“Hey uh… sorry about last week.” Eli scratched the back of his neck nervously.

“No need to apologize. I’m flattered, really.” Aesop smiled sheepishly.

“I’m glad you’re not mad at me or anything,” Eli sighed, relieved. He carefully placed his hand on his waist. “Should we begin?” Aesop nodded, more than happy to focus on something other than Eli calling him cute.

“Hey, do you guys want to join us for ice cream again?” Mike asked Norton and Eli once the class was over. A few more weeks had passed and the four of them had formed a sort of routine of getting ice cream after Mary’s class. Sometimes Naib and Luca would be there too.

The two boys nodded, jumping at the chance for ice cream. After gathering their belongings, they met up at the entrance to the school and headed out.

“Hey, where are Andrew and Victor?” Eli asked.

“They said they couldn’t make it. Something about studying.” Mike explained.

“Nah, I bet they just went to make out somewhere,” Norton joked.

Mike lightly punched him in the arm, “They aren’t even dating!”

Norton raised an eyebrow, “You sure? What if they just wanted to keep it a secret?”

“Enough talk about relationships, I just want some ice cream,” Aesop mumbled as they approached the store.

Mike barged in through the door, “Emily, we’re back!”

Emily just smiled and took them to their seats. As the four sat down, Emily giggled.

The four stared at her as if she was crazy, “What?”

“Are you guys on a double date?” She raised an eyebrow.

Aesop practically died on the spot, Eli was flustered as hell, Norton turned the color of a tomato, and Mike was on the verge of screaming.

Emily laughed it off and walked away, knowing their orders like the back of her hand. The others just sat in awkward silence for a few minutes until Emma came out from the back.

“Oh hey, guys- wait why do you all look so flustered?”

“It’s nothing Emma, don’t worry about it. Just something Emily said.” Norton assured her.

Emma took a seat next to him, her interest peaked, “What did she say? Did she try to flirt with you or something?”

Mike bursted out laughing and Norton found it hard not to as well. Emma turned to Eli and Aesop for answers.

Eli shook his head, “She likes girls, Emma. She’s more likely to flirt with you than us.”

Emma’s face flushed at the thought of Emily flirting with her, completely forgetting to ask the boys what the other girl did say to them.

“What’s this about flirting?” Emily asked as she walked back over to them, ice cream cones in hand.

“Nothing,” Aesop muttered, wanting nothing more than to hide his face in a pillow.


	3. Good Roommates and Garden Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aesop has a talk with Victor and Eli is a mess.

When Aesop finally made it back to his dorm room, he flopped onto his bed without even taking his shoes off. Victor raised an eyebrow at his roommate’s behavior. He grabbed a scrap piece of paper and scribbled something onto it before tapping Aesop on the shoulder and handing it to him.

It read, ‘What happened?’

Aesop sighed, “Emily made a joke about Mike and Norton going on a double date with me and Eli.”

Taking back the paper to give a response, Victor wrote, ‘But it was just a joke, right? Did it make you uncomfortable?’

“Emily didn’t mean any harm but I don’t know… it just made me feel weird.”

‘Well, are you opposed to going on a date with him?’

“W-where did that come from?!” He sputtered. Victor gave him a look that seemed to tell him to just answer the question. “I don’t know…”

‘How would you feel if someone else went on a date with Eli?’

Aesop didn’t want to admit it but the thought of Eli going out with someone else made him more uncomfortable than going out with him himself.

Victor seemed to read the emotions on Aesop’s face and wrote without needing an answer, ‘I think you’ve got a crush.’

“I do not! What do you know about romance anyway?” The words didn’t mean to leave Aesop’s mouth and he instantly regretted it.

Victor was unfazed by his small outburst and instead wrote, ‘Well I have a boyfriend and you don’t.’

“Since when do you have a boyfriend?” This was definitely news to Aesop.

Victor rolled his eyes, ‘Andrew. Are you really that blind?’ 

“I should have guessed…”

‘So what are you gonna do about Eli?’

“Nothing. I don’t have a crush on him anyway.” Aesop huffed.

Victor let out an inaudible sigh at his roommate’s stubbornness.

‘You think he’s attractive though.’

Aesop’s face reddened, “I’m not that blind,” he mumbled.

Victor shook his head, ‘Denying it won’t do anything. Face it, you have a crush on Eli Clark.’

“I’m not talking about this anymore, I have to study.” Aesop grabbed the remaining pages of his homework and pretended to focus on it.

Truth be told, Aesop was glad to have Victor as a roommate. He always kept his stuff clean, never invited people over without asking first, and was nice to talk to. Neither of them were very social so when they first became roommates, they went a while without talking. Little did Aesop know that Victor actually couldn’t talk, which made it very awkward when he did work up the courage to start a conversation. But now they were close friends and Aesop was happy he had done so.

Aesop’s mind wandered over to Eli while trying to study. He blushed a little at the thought of Eli’s incapacitating blue eyes. Endless thoughts of Eli clouded his mind, forcing him to give up on studying. He leaned back on his chair and sighed, annoyed. He grabbed his pillow and screamed in it. Victor gave him an amused look from his side of the room, knowing fully well what had Aesop so distressed.

Aesop threw the pillow down and marched out the door, determined to find something to take his mind off Eli. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the long and endless hallways of the building. Aesop later found himself in the garden of the school. The garden was where most students would hang out, eat lunch, or study during break. But now that it was late, all the students had retreated back to their dorms.

Rows of flowers and other plants stretched across the area. The only light source was the dim lights from the building behind him and the bright moon. There stood lines of colorful flowers of various types, from white jasmine to red roses. However, the yellow irises and blue violets, illuminated by the moonlight, appealed the most to Aesop for some unknown reason. He sat down on a nearby bench, his arms holding up his head as he took a deep breath. No matter how hard he tried to forget about Eli and his stupid blue eyes, the thoughts would always come back. 

“Something on your mind?” Aesop nearly jumped out of his skin when Eli appeared in front of him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He apologized as he took a seat next to him.

“I-it’s ok..” Aesop responded with a nervous smile. He took a few moments to take in Eli’s appearance. His ruffled brown hair was contained within a thin blue hoodie that was draped over black jeans. Glasses absorbed the residual light to reveal his stupidly beautiful eyes. Aesop’s face grew red. Eli looked adorable as always.

Eli slightly tilted his head to the side in confusion. “Is there something on my face?”

Aesop shook his head, “N-no, sorry for staring.” The shy boy fiddled with his fingers, looking at the ground.

Eli just smiled before asking, “So what’s up?”

“I just came outside for some fresh air..” 

Eli nodded his head and looked up at the bright moon and stars. Aesop quietly joined him in his gaze up at the never-ending sky. 

“Wait….Why are you out here Eli?”

“Ah, well, I have a pet named Brooke, she’s an owl. I come out every night to say hi since pets aren’t allowed on school grounds. She should be here any minute.” Eli explains, still gazing at the sky.

And just as Eli finished his sentence, an owl came swooping down towards Eli’s forearm as he stood to meet her. Aesop was amazed by Eli and Brooke's strong bond. Eli gently pet the bird, making the owl hoot in response. 

“Wanna pet her?”

Aesop was hesitant about Eli’s question, but eventually, he gave in. Eli walked towards Aesop with Brooke on his shoulder. Aesop held out his already shaking hand while looking away. He felt something fluffy against his fingers. Brooke hooted at Aesop’s light touch. Aesop smiled and pet the bird. Eli’s face was dusted with pink. Aesop’s smile was the cutest thing he’d seen.

The taller male snapped out of his thoughts only to realize that he was very close to Aesop. Eli stared into Aesop’s soft-looking gray eyes as Aesop stared at Eli’s. They stayed like that for a little until Brooke got bored and started hooting, essentially breaking their prolonged eye contact.

The two boys backed away a few steps, even more flustered than before. 

“S-Sorry! I uh...didn’t mean to stare. Your smile is cute. You have pretty eyes. Wait sh—“ Eli covered his mouth, preventing from anything else coming out his stupid mouth. 

Aesop just stood there wide-eyed with his arms covering his face, not wanting to show his blush. Cute smile?! Pretty eyes?!? His thoughts went insane. Eli?! The Eli Clark, calling me cute and pretty?! Aesop was at a loss for words, “M-my eyes are pretty? But yours a-are beautiful.” Wait. Fuck. “I-I didn’t mean to say that-!”

Both of their faces got impossibly redder.

“I-I’m gonna head back... Um...Good night E-Eli…” Aesop wanted to slap himself for stuttering so much.

Eli nodded and waved goodbye to the smaller boy and watched as his figure got smaller in the distance. 

“That was a disaster,” Eli mumbled to Brooke as he continued to ruffle her fluffy feathers.

~____________________________________ ~  
[texting]

Mike:  
soooo about my ten bucks 👀

Norton:  
What?

Mike:  
ten bucks  
hand em over :D

Norton:  
Wait  
Did they actually...?

Mike:  
ye ^-^

Norton:  
How do you even know?

Mike:  
so I had my window open  
and I heard them talking in the garden  
they r so hopeless >:/

Norton:  
I’m sure it will be fine Mike  
Those dumbasses will figure it out eventually  
~____________________________________ ~

Norton placed his phone down on his desk and buried his head in his arms. Norton was tired after a long day. He just wanted to sleep goddammit. Not to mention he now owed Mike ten bucks. He closed his brown eyes and drifted into his thoughts. 

Mike’s adorable freckles were one of those thoughts, and that caught his attention. Mike always looked adorable with those freckles scattered across his cheeks. Norton loved everything about Mike, from his personality to his looks. At this point, he would never be able to sleep. 

Norton lifted his head as he heard the door to Eli’s room close. He forced himself up to knock on Eli’s door. If he wasn’t going to sleep, neither was his roommate.

“Come in,” Eli called from the other side of the door. Norton opened the door and plopped himself onto the bean bag in Eli’s room which he probably used more than Eli anyway. “Can’t sleep?”

“Nope. I also wanted to tease you about Aesop.” Norton smirked at Eli’s slightly red face.

“What do you mean?”

“Mike heard you two being all awkward and whatever from his window and texted me about it. He didn’t give me any details though so spill the tea.”

“‘Spill the tea’? You’ve been hanging out with Mike too much.”

Norton nodded, “Probably. But don’t change the subject. Tell me what happened.”

By the time Eli was done explaining, Norton was almost on the floor, laughing his ass off. Mike was right, they really were hopeless.

Eli buried his head in his arms, embarrassed and upset. Norton took notice and placed a hand on Eli’s shoulder, “It’ll be fine, don’t worry. You’ll tell Aesop one day, maybe today just wasn’t the right day.” Eli was thankful for his friend's words but all he did was nod. “Well you should sleep man, it’s getting late. Good night.” Norton sighed as he headed out of the room.

Once Norton left, Eli flopped down on the bed with an arm over his face. He started shedding a few tears, still feeling extremely upset about the whole thing. _I’m an idiot...I’m sorry Aesop.. ___

____

~____________________________________ ~

____

Aesop had quietly made his way back to his room. It was already 11 pm so he wasn’t surprised to find Victor already asleep. After he closed the door to his room, he cleaned up and curled up into a ball on his bed while hugging another pillow. 

____

_I still can’t believe that Eli had called me cute and pretty and then I returned the compliment?!! But why does the atmosphere feel so….upsetting? Agh! He probably hates me now for leaving him there... Why did I do that!? ___

____

____

____

Aesop hated himself for doing that. He tightened his grip on the soft white pillow. He wanted these negative thoughts to go away and never return, but even if he does forget them, they’d always linger in the back of his mind. But as time passed Aesop’s eyes grew tired, and eventually, the boy drifted off to sleep.

____

____

____


	4. Hand in Hand

Morning came and Aesop begrudgingly got up. He was definitely not a morning person, unlike Victor who had already left. He took a quick shower before putting on a tank top, some leggings, his favorite gray hoodie, and his converse. He threw his hair up into a messy ponytail and tossed his pointe shoes into his duffel bag along with his phone and water bottle.

He headed out the door and down the stairs, making his way out of the building. Mary promised to help him out with a new combination he’d been working on today and he wanted to get some practice in before she did. He walked across campus, trying to find an empty studio.

After finally finding one, he set his bag down and pulled out his small, wireless speaker, choosing some piano music he was familiar with. He took a few moments to put on his pointe shoes (which was quite the pain in the ass) before making his way over to the ballet bar. 

After warming up, he closed his eyes and focused on his movements. He followed along to the flow of the song, gently moving along as if he was a feather. Eli happened to walk by while making his way to the cafeteria for breakfast. He stopped and blushed, he gripped his bag strap tighter, remembering the night before. As those negative thoughts flooded his mind, they immediately disappeared once he saw Aesop. Aesop finally pulled off the move that he had been practicing for so long. 

Aesop twirled and leaped into the air, Eli’s eyes widened in surprise. It was as if Aesop was flying in the sky with ease and comfort. As the gray-haired boy landed perfectly on the tip of his pointe shoes, he stopped and took a breath.

“YES!!!” Aesop cheered, he finally perfected the move. 

Eli admired Aesop’s expression for a bit. Aesop’s smile was the thing he adored the most. A faint blush crept up on Eli’s cheeks.

_He’s an angel… ___

__Aesop kept cheering but immediately stopped when he felt someone watching him. He turned and there he saw Eli turning around, about to leave. Aesop gasped slightly in surprise and rushed over. Had Eli been watching him? He quickly grabbed Eli’s hand, trying to get him to stay. Eli was caught off guard by Aesop, thinking that he wouldn’t do anything so bold. Aesop held Eli’s hand tight._ _

__“Don’t leave..”_ _

__Eli turned to face Aesop, still hand in hand, “Look, Aesop, I’m sor—“_ _

__“No, I am. I’m sorry for leaving you outside like that..”_ _

__Eli looked at Aesop’s sorrowful expression while Aesop looked at Eli, “It’s okay, really! I understand that I made things...weird.”_ _

__Aesop nodded, the silence returning. Eli looked down at their still joined hands. Not being able to take the awkward silence between them any longer, Aesop started, “Do you want to join me?”_ _

__“What?”_ _

__“In dancing, I mean. I have this piece I’ve been working on and Mary said it would work better as a duo but I haven’t found anyone to do it with yet…” he trailed off, feeling embarrassed._ _

__Instant relief washed over him when Eli smiled and said, “Of course!”_ _

__Aesop let their hands drop, once again glad for his fingerless gloves, before heading back into the room. Eli followed and asked, “What kind of routine is it?”_ _

__“A ballet one. I hope you don’t mind.”_ _

__Eli shook his head, “Not at all! I’m just glad I happened to have my pointe shoes with me. I actually don’t use them very often.”_ _

__The two got together and started to dance, Aesop teaching Eli the steps as they went. He was impressed by how fast Eli managed to pick up the choreography as he wasn’t used to being the teacher. The tension between them slowly dissipated and Aesop felt a lot more at ease._ _

__The two danced along with the music, gracefully moving around the room. As the music slowly came to an end, Eli felt his heart rate rise at the position they were in._ _

__Eli was beside Aesop, slightly behind him. Aesop’s left hand was in his right, held up as if they just finished a waltz. His left hand held the gray-haired boy’s other arm to the other side. Their eyes were locked, Aesop’s head turned slightly to be able to properly see the other. The position wasn’t particularly intimate but it still felt like they were standing far too close._ _

__Once the music had finally died out completely, Aesop shifted a bit so he was somewhat facing the other. Still staring into Eli’s eyes and their hands unmoving, Aesop smiled._ _

__“Good job,” He breathed, still out of breath._ _

__Eli weakly nodded, “You too.”_ _

__“Am I interrupting?”_ _

__Aesop whipped his head around to see Mary in the doorway, donning her usual red attire. He quickly put some distance between Eli and himself before answering her, “No, I was just practicing.”_ _

__“With Eli?” Mary raised an eyebrow, “You didn’t tell me you found someone to duo that song with you.”_ _

__“Yes, well, we just started today.”_ _

__“I should probably get going. I haven’t even had breakfast yet.” Eli started walking over to his bag before stopping and turning back to Aesop, “Have you eaten anything today?”_ _

__Aesop blinked. He actually hadn’t had anything to eat but he often went throughout the morning without food. He only did when Victor was still there before he left and insisted on making him some pancakes._ _

__“No,” he answered truthfully._ _

__“Aesop Carl! You go get some food right this instant!” Mary crossed her arms over her chest._ _

__“But-”_ _

__“No buts! I won’t let you dance until you’ve eaten,” She told him in a stern voice. “Eli, you make sure he eats, ok? I’ll wait here until you’re done.”_ _

__“That’s really not necessary-” Aesop tried._ _

__“You really must take better care of yourself, Carl. Or else I’ll have Victor make sure you eat every morning.” She used his last name which meant she was serious._ _

__He sighed, “Fine.”_ _

__After both he and Eli switched out their pointe shoes for sneakers, they headed out the door._ _

__“Where are we going?” Aesop asked._ _

__“To the cafeteria,” Eli replied simply. Aesop furrowed his eyebrows. “Something wrong?”_ _

__“Can we go to a café instead? I’ll pay.”_ _

__“Sure. But I’m paying.”_ _

__“I’m paying.”_ _

__This continued even after they were seated in a nearby coffee shop._ _

__“Ugh, just split the price.” They look up to see one of the employees._ _

__“Vera?” Eli asked, surprised._ _

__“Hello, Eli. Hello, Eli’s boyfriend. What can I get for you guys?”_ _

__Aesop sputtered, trying to explain but Eli had better luck, “He’s not my boyfriend, just a friend.”_ _

__“Really? Too bad, he’s cute. Anyway, you want coffee?”_ _

__Eli gave Vera his order, paying her comment no mind while Aesop struggled to do the same. Once she finally left, Eli turned back to the flustered boy._ _

__“Sorry about that. Vera likes to assume things. She thought I was dating my friend Fiona until I explained Fiona was actually my cousin.” Eli laughed slightly at the memory. “So why did you want to come to a café anyway?”_ _

__“The cafeteria is too loud and too crowded. Plus the food is better at a café.”_ _

__Eli nodded, understanding what he meant. The two continued to chat about unimportant things until Vera came back with their food and drinks. It was the best breakfast Aesop had had in awhile. Definitely because of the coffee and not the cute boy sitting across from him._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/559417827593945090/724341996243779654/image0.jpg
> 
> AlphaArts made some really nice art for this chapter^^


	5. I Won’t Say It

“So.” Mary started, “Eli.”

Aesop kept walking, “What about him?”

“Do you like him~?” Mary cooed as she fixed her sleeve.

Aesop stopped dead in his tracks, “No...No I do not.”

Mary sighed, “You know that I won’t tell anyone, Aesop.”

Aesop hesitated before saying anything, how does she know? Aesop gripped his bag strap and sped walked past Mary, ignoring her. 

Mary crossed her arms and shook her head, “Kids these days.”

Aesop was annoyed so he headed to the garden, praying that no one was there. When he arrived, he found a shady spot under one of the many trees. He lightly threw his bag on the bench and sat down. He closed his eyes and sighed. He stayed like this for a few minutes, enjoying the peace and quiet.

“Aesop!” 

Aesop nearly had a heart attack from the sudden noise. His eyes fluttered open as he turned around only to see Mike. He sighed in relief as he placed his hand over his chest. 

“So... about you and Eli—”

“Why is everyone asking me about Eli?!” Aesop cried in distress. 

“Because you guys would be cute together. Anyways, are you doing ok?”

Aesop blushed at the comment but nodded in response, trying to look for a way to distract Mike from talking about Eli. Then he thought of something. “What about you and Norton? You two seem pretty close.” 

Mike’s face immediately turned red, “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about...haha..”

Aesop rolled his eyes knowing clearly that Mike likes Norton. He shrugged and walked away, leaving the flustered blonde behind, glad Mike had changed the subject. “What about you?”

“I’m super excited!”

“Why’s that?”

“Haven’t you heard? We’re having a dance off with Oletus Academy! Mary and her fiancé went to Jack about it and he agreed!”

Aesop stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, “Wait...really?” Mike was pumping his fists into the air while Aesop stared at him wide-eyed, “There is no way I’m dancing in front of a whole crowd! Especially in front of two different schools!”

Mike shrugged at Aesop, “It will be fine Aesop! You’re a great dancer! Besides, it’s just for fun!” 

“That’s what they all say…” Aesop mumbled as he walked off to meet Mary.

Aesop hurried along the corridor and looked for Mary, he turned the corner and there she was. She stood there looking at her wristwatch.

“Mary, can we talk for a second?” Aesop asked her.

“Hm? Sure thing Aesop! What’s up?”

“So about the dance off…” he looked down at the ground nervously, “I don’t think I can do it.”

Mary’s eyes softened, “Well the dance off isn’t mandatory but I still think you should do it. I know doing improv in front of a crowd isn’t exactly your thing so maybe you could use part of a choreographed routine that works well with any music! You could even have someone help you with it if you’d like.” She placed a hand on his shoulder, “You’re an amazing dancer Aesop. Don’t let that talent go to waste.”

“...I’ll think about it. Thank you.” Mary grinned, happy to help her student. 

As Mary turned around and walked into the studio, she stopped for a moment to look back at Aesop. “So, you wanna talk about Eli now?” Aesop glared at her. “Ok, ok, I’ll drop it.”

~____________________________________ ~

While stretching, Eli turned his head to face Norton, “So about that dance off…” Norton looked over at Eli and gave him a questioning look. 

“So when is it?”

“A few weeks from now, why?”

Eli shrugged, “Just curious.”

Norton raised an eyebrow, “You worried about Aesop?”

When did Norton get so good at reading him? Eli looked down sheepishly and nodded, “He doesn’t like improv, never mind in front of people.”

“He’s a good dancer though, he doesn’t have any reason to be nervous.”

Eli rolled his eyes, “I know that but he doesn’t.”

“Why don’t you try to build up his confidence or something? Maybe have him practice in front of friends first so he gets comfortable with people watching him.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea.”

Norton lightly punched Eli in the arm, “See? Not all my ideas are shitty.”

“I never said they were.”

“You were thinking it though.”

Eli smiled at his roommate, “Maybe.”

The day went by in a blur, it was 2:30 pm when the school bell rang. It sang a soft tune, signaling that that day was over. The halls slowly filled up with students and staff members. Eli waved goodbye to Norton as he headed out, searching for the gray haired male.

He strolled down the halls of the campus and ran into Mike, “Hey Mike, have you seen Aesop? I need to talk to him.”

Mike raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Why? You gonna ask him out?”

Eli blushed at the blonde’s comment, “No! I-I mean, I’m looking for him so that I can talk about the dance off with Oletus.” 

Mike just laughed, “I’m just messin with ya Eli,” Mike pointed in a direction that led a little off campus. “He's over there. It’s like his little secret getaway, just don’t tell him I told you.” 

Eli nodded and thanked Mike for the information before he ran off. Secret getaway huh? Eli walked around the corner to only find a small garden full of yellow roses. He never knew this existed behind the campus… This place was smaller than the garden that was next to the dorms. Eli cautiously made his way through the endless rows of golden yellow flowers and overgrown trees, not wanting to disturb the serene atmosphere. 

He peered around a tree and saw the person he had been looking for. Aesop was sound asleep on a round bench that surrounded a large tree. The field around him flourished with golden yellow flowers.

_He’s an angel even when he’s asleep… ___

__Eli mentally slapped himself for thinking that. Eli quietly made his way to the sleeping boy and tapped him on the shoulder._ _

__Aesop’s eyes fluttered open, “Hmm…?”_ _

__“Hey Aesop..?”_ _

__Once Aesop recognized the voice, he was wide awake, “E-Eli?! What are you doing here?! How do you know about this place?! A-And how did you know I was here?! Sorry … that sounded rude..” He rambled on and on._ _

__Eli tried to calm him down. He answered Aesop’s questions one by one. Aesop quietly nodded along, fiddling with his white fingerless gloves._ _

__“So, you wanted to talk to me about something?” Aesop asked once Eli was done explaining._ _

__Eli nodded, “I wanted to ask if you are going to the dance off. I know improv isn’t your thing but I think it would be really fun.”_ _

__“I’m not sure. I talked to Mary about it a bit and she gave me some good advice but I don’t know.”_ _

__“Well Norton had this idea…” Eli started, “He said maybe if you practiced improv in front of people you were comfortable with, it would make doing it easier.”_ _

__“I guess I could try.”_ _

__“Great!” Eli beamed, “Do you want to start now? We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”_ _

__“I have to study now but we can start tomorrow,” Aesop offered, “If you’re not busy that is.”_ _

__“I’m free for most of the day. Text me when you’re up for it.”_ _

__“Sure.” Aesop glanced down at his phone to check the time, “I have to go now, it’s later than I thought. I’ll see you tomorrow.”_ _

__As Aesop began to leave Eli grabbed Aesop’s wrist. Aesop furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, “Huh—?”_ _

__Before Aesop began to protest, he felt a hand on his cheek. Aesop’s cheeks started fading into a bright shade of red. Eli gently tucked a yellow rose behind the smaller boy’s ear._ _

__“I’ll see you tomorrow, Aesop.” Eli chuckled, leaving the flustered boy behind._ _


	6. Deal

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Mary had a good idea and I want to help you.”

Aesop and Eli we’re currently in an otherwise empty studio, discussing the dance off.

“Mary said to do part improv and part choreography. She didn’t say anything about you helping me choreograph it.” Aesop huffed. He felt bad for taking up Eli’s time.

“But I want to. Would you rather I didn’t?”

“No but shouldn’t you be in class or something? There are better ways to spend your time.”

“The only class I have today is the ballroom one which isn’t until later. Besides,” Eli smiled warmly at him, “I like spending time with you.” 

Aesop ignored the way his heart fluttered and replied, “If you say so.”

~____________________________________ ~

“Ice cream time!” Mike shouted as the group headed to the familiar store.

Norton smiled and shook his head, “We get ice cream every week. Why do you get excited every time?”

“Because ice cream tastes good! Why wouldn’t I be excited?” Mike sped ahead before Norton could reply.

“Hi Luca, Naib!” Mike greeted them when he spotted them in their usual seats. He moved to sit with them as the others soon followed.

“Here you go,” Emily came around to give them their treats with a smile.

After a chorus of ‘thank you’s, Eli asked, “How are things going with Emma?”

Emily sighed and took a seat seeing as there were no other customers. “I’m unsure of what to do. Whenever I think about asking her out, I end up backing out.”

“You could ask her at the dance off’s after party,” Naib suggested.

“There’s an after party?” Andrew asked.

Luca nodded, “It’s supposed to be pretty big. People are going to be dressing up and everything.”

“I feel like that’s just an excuse for Mary and Michiko to destroy everyone on the dance floor,” Norton mused, playing with the metal spoon in his ice-cream cup. 

‘I wouldn’t be surprised,’ Victor signed.

“Hey Emily, have you- oh hey guys!” Emma came out of the back with a smile as always. She plopped herself next to Emily and asked, “Are you guys excited for the dance off? It’s only a week away!”

The conversation continued with next week’s event being the main topic. Eli turned to Aesop, noticing he was quieter that usual.

“Hey, are you alright?”

Aesop nodded, “I don’t want to go to the party but I know Mike and Victor will drag me there if they have to.”

Eli had almost forgotten Aesop’s distaste for being surrounded by other people. “I’m sure it won’t be too bad. You can always leave if you get too uncomfortable.”

“I suppose. I’d rather be around just you guys than a bunch of other people.”

“I could stay with you if you’d like.” His face flushed at his own words. “Instead of being with people you don’t know, I mean. It might help to stick with someone you know.”

“I would appreciate that. I don’t want to take away from you socializing though.”

“Don’t worry about that. I’d rather you feel comfortable.”

Aesop felt his face warm, “...Thanks.”

~____________________________________ ~

“That was pretty bold of you.” Norton smirked once they got back to their dorm.

“What do you mean?” Eli asked, confused.

“Saying you would spend the whole night with Aesop.”

“I just wanted him to feel comfortable.”

Norton rolled his eyes, “Whatever you say. Naib had a good idea though. You should ask him out at the party.”

“He told Emily to ask out Emma, not me to ask Aesop…Why don’t you ask Mike out?” 

Norton tried and failed to hide his slightly reddened face, “We’re talking about you right now, not me.”

Eli raised an eyebrow, “What if I said I’d ask Aesop if you ask Mike?”

“That’s…” Norton struggled for words, “Fine. But if you back out then I am too.”

“Deal.”

~____________________________________ ~

The week went by in a blur and Eli was regretting his decision. He was definitely not ready to face Aesop, let alone tell him how he really felt. What if Aesop already knew? Eli wasn’t being very subtle and Aesop was fairly good at reading people.

“Hello?” Norton snapped his fingers in front of Eli’s face in hope to get his attention. “Stop spacing out, we’re leaving in a minute.”

“Right, sorry.” Eli followed him into the living room, “Where are we meeting the others again?”

“The lobby outside of the ballroom.” Just then, Norton’s phone pinged. He looked at it before turning back to Eli, “Let’s go, Mike is getting impatient.” Eli nodded and they headed out of the dorms. They walked in a comfortable silence until Norton asked, “You nervous?”

“More nervous for the after party,” Eli admitted, smiling sheepishly.

They soon joined the others who were excitedly chatting and predicting who would win.

“I’m definitely gonna win!” Luca exclaimed, arms crossed over his chest.

“No you're not, because I’m gonna destroy you!” Mike shot back.

The two boys kept going back and forth while Victor tried to stop them. Andrew and Aesop just quietly watched the playful banter, looking disappointed.

“Screw you two, I’m gonna win!” Norton stated, while ruffling Mike’s already messy hair. Mike’s heart fluttered from the sudden touch.

Eli chuckled at the scene as he greeted Naib. He glanced over to look at Aesop and started panicking already. Noticing his gaze, Aesop turned to look at Eli. The taller male quickly looked away, blushing a dark shade of red. Aesop raised an eyebrow in confusion at the sudden shyness. _Was he staring at me? _Aesop ignored the butterflies in his stomach and continued talking with Andrew.__

____

After a few more minutes, Emma and Emily joined them and they headed inside. The ballroom was crowded with students and teachers from both schools, socializing between themselves. The group chatted for a bit longer before Mary and Michiko stood together in the front of the room, gathering everyone’s attention.

____

“Welcome to the Identity vs. Oletus dance off!” Mary started, “Here is how it’s going to work: each school will stand in their respective sides of the room until it is their turn. When it is their turn, their students will dance until their turn is over. It will go back and forth between the schools for three songs. Once it’s over, the teachers will decide which five students won. Meanwhile, the students get to vote for the two teachers who won. Whichever school has the most winners wins!” 

____

With that, the two schools separated into the two sides of the room as the first song started playing from the speakers. “Animal” by Neon Trees flooded the room as Michiko gestured for her students to start. Within seconds, they were in motion. 

____

Luca quickly took everyone’s attention, this being the kind of song he’d love to dance to. Emma and Naib were right behind him, a bright smile on the face of the former. After a minute, their turn ended and the students of Identity filled up the space with no problem. All of them were having fun with the song but Mike and Norton more so. They shared a strong love for this song and even discussed choreographing a duo to it in the future.

____

The two schools went back and forth a few more times before the song ended and the next one started. The second the opening beats of “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis filled Naib’s ears, a smirk spread across his face. As soon as it was his turn, he was breakdancing while the others watched in awe. No one could compare to his impressive display but Eli and Emily performed a bit of a hip hop routine that they had learned in a class together which had a few others who also attended the class joining in.

____

A few turns later, “Beautiful People” by Ed Sheeran was playing. A soft but powerful song such as this were the kind Victor, Andrew, and Aesop all preferred. It was no surprise that they would impress their fellow students but Eli still felt his heart quicken and his eyes widened as he watched Aesop. It was obvious he was nervous but his body knew what to do and still managed to make him look amazing.

____

As the song came to a close, Aesop made his way back over to Eli, a smile on his face. Aesop was out of breath and sweaty as they all were but Eli wanted to kiss him more than he had ever wanted anything before.

____


	7. Waltz With Me

After the dance off ended, the students casted their votes and headed back to the dorms to change into nicer clothes. The group met up again at the party, chatting about anything and everything.

“You ready?” Norton asked his roommate.

“Not at all.”

Norton laughed slightly, “You know I’ll never let it go if you don’t do this tonight.”

Eli groaned, “I know and I’m going to do it. I just need to find him first.” He looked around the room but was yet to spot the gray haired boy.

As Eli searched for Aesop, the music slowed down, indicating that it was time for a slow dance. As couples and friends paired up for the dance, his heart tightened slightly. He was scared that he wasn’t going to find Aesop. 

Just as his negative thoughts clouded his mind, his eyes caught a glimpse of gray in the distance. He knew it was Aesop, so why was Aesop leaving the party? He followed him out of curiosity. 

Aesop quietly opened the door and left the ballroom, calming down from all the loud music behind him. Unaware of the brunet following him, he strolled onward. 

When Eli saw him walk behind the school, he knew where they were headed to. As the blue eyed boy himself made his way to the back of the school, he smiled at the sight of beautiful golden yellow roses that surrounded the whole garden and the even more stunning boy in the middle of them. Eli gained his confidence and made his way through the endless rows of flowers. The soothing music echoing from the ballroom made the scenery more calming.

“Hey, Aesop?” 

Aesop turned around and blushed a dark shade of crimson at the sight of Eli. He admired Eli for a bit. He was wearing a nice pair of black jeans with a dark blue dress shirt. He had his glasses on and Aesop couldn’t help but find them adorable. His intoxicating blue eyes reflected the moonlight, making them even prettier. 

Eli tilted his head in confusion as to why Aesop was just staring at him, “Aesop? You okay?”

Aesop quickly nodded and looked away. Eli noticed that Aesop was covering his face, but that didn’t help hide his blush as his ears were tinted red. Eli gained a little more confidence and just smiled at Aesop. 

As Aesop tried to calm his heart beat, he saw Eli’s hand held out in front of him, “May I have this dance…?” 

Aesop nodded and took Eli’s hand. _Was this really happening? I’m not dreaming….Am I? _Aesop felt his smaller hand intertwine with Eli’s, and another hand on his waist. The gray haired boy didn’t dare look up at Eli, knowing that his blush would worsen if he did.__

__Eli took notice and took his hand off his waist and placed them underneath Aesop’s chin. He lifted Aesop’s head lightly and admired his gorgeous gray eyes. Aesop became more flustered if that was possible._ _

__The two began slow dancing under the stars, it was strange at first, but slowly it became more comfortable between the two. They would have small conversations while dancing but they mostly relished in the comfortable silence._ _

__They had only known each other for a few months but Eli knew he was truly in love with Aesop. His heart skipped a beat. No going back now...It’s now or never._ _

__“Aesop…I want to tell you something..”_ _

__Aesop tilted his head slightly with curiosity, “What is it?” Aesop’s heart started pounding. Is this it? Is he going to ask me?_ _

__Eli stared deeply into Aesop’s eyes. Taking a breath, he managed to say, “I like you, Aesop Carl.” Eli tightened his grip on Aesop’s hand, getting ready for an incoming rejection._ _

__Aesop couldn’t believe what his own ears just heard. The words, “I like you” danced around his mind._ _

__Aesop snapped out of his daze and quickly blurted out, “I-I like you too, Eli Clark.”_ _

__Eli let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he processed the words that came from Aesop. He smiled brightly at Aesop, pulling him closer._ _

__Eli hesitated, “Can I… Can I kiss you?”_ _

__Aesop nodded and closed the gap between them, letting his eyes close. The two enjoyed the sweet moment, both wishing that it would never end, but they had to part for air._ _

__Aesop asked, carefully, “So does this mean we’re a couple?”_ _

__Eli nodded happily as he rested a hand on Aesop’s cheek, as they both leaned for another kiss._ _

__“Finally!”_ _

__The two froze at the unexpected voice, Aesop yelped and hid behind Eli as the rest of their group came into view._ _

__“Jesus, if you’re gonna make out then get a room.” Norton laughed._ _

__Naib raised an eyebrow, “As if you and Mike weren’t just-”_ _

__“SHH!! CLASSIFIED INFORMATION!!” Mike blurted as he covered Naib’s mouth, flustered._ _

__Eli rolled his eyes at the scene. He found his hand held tightly by Aesop’s. He gently smiled at Aesop, letting him know that it was okay. Once Aesop came out of hiding, still not letting go of Eli’s hand, he was engulfed in a hug from Victor, and Mike quickly joined in._ _

__Aesop almost fell over from the sudden gesture, “Guys...I can’t breathe..”_ _

__Once the hug ended Emma suggested, “Why don’t we go to the ice cream store to celebrate? Emily and I can open it just for us.”_ _

__They all nodded in agreement, never turning down an opportunity for ice cream. A few minutes later they found themselves seated at their usual booths with their favorite flavors in hand. The only difference was Mike and Norton, who decided to share a swirl of their usual flavors. Naib gagged at how cute they were being._ _

__As Eli ate his cup of vanilla ice-cream, he felt something leaning on his left shoulder. He slightly turned his head and blushed a little. Aesop, who had already finished his ice cream, had fallen asleep and was resting his tired head on Eli’s shoulder._ _

__Eli looked around, making sure that no one was paying attention to them. He turned back to Aesop’s adorable sleeping face and whispered, “I love you.”_ _


	8. Bonus Chapter: Nervous Wreck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonton chapter

To say Norton was nervous would be an understatement. He didn’t want to potentially ruin his friendship with Mike over something like this, but he made a deal with Eli and he was not backing out.

It didn’t take him long to find the blonde as he was talking rather loudly to Victor and Andrew. He briefly wondered why the other couple weren’t slow dancing as most were but decided he had more important things to focus on. Building up his confidence, he made his way over to them.

“Sorry to interrupt,” he started but Victor shook his head, showing it was fine, “Can I steal Mike for this song?” Victor and Andrew nodded and headed off, probably already knowing what Norton planned to do.

“So what’s up?” Mike chirped.

“May I have this dance?” Norton held his hand out to Mike, trying to hide his nervousness.

Mike beamed, “Of course!”

They took the positions they had become very used to and started spinning around the room.

“So…” Norton started, searching for the right words.

“You want to ask me something?” Mike smiled knowingly.

“How’d you know?”

“Why else would you be so tense?” Mike laughed slightly, “And you weren’t being exactly subtle either.”

“Then… what’s your answer?” Norton mumbled as he gazed into the smaller boy’s adorable blue and yellow eyes.

Mike stood on his tippy toes to give Norton a quick kiss on the lips, “Yes, of course!”

Norton returned his smile before pulling him into another kiss. What did he do to deserve this boy?


	9. Bonus Chapter: Flustered With Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma and Emily chapter

Emily sighed as she flopped down onto the bed of her dorm room. Yesterday’s after party had her exhausted, not to mention how she couldn’t sleep with a certain brunette on her mind.

“Rough day?” Her roommate, Fiona asked from her side of the room.

“Rough week, actually.” Emily huffed. “You know that girl Emma I was telling you about? Well I was going to ask her out last night at the party but was too scared.”

“Why not ask her today? You work with her and you have a shift in less than an hour. Why not get her some flowers and tell her while you're opening the shop? Plus you’ll have to tell her when she asks about the flowers so you can’t back out.”

Thank god for Fiona, she always had an answer to any problem. “Thank you, I might try that.”

“I’m always happy to help!”

~____________________________________ ~

Emily nervously played with the hem of her skirt with one hand while she held white and baby blue flowers with the other. She had gotten to the store before Emma was just killing time by cleaning up the kitchen. Finally, she heard the door chime signaling someone had entered.

Emily came out from the back and took in Emma’s appearance. She had her brown hair tied up into a small ponytail with a few strands framing her face. She wore the same uniform that Emily did but still made it look adorable. Her big green eyes sparkled and her smile lit up the room. 

“Hey Emily! Sorry I was a little late, Norton was bothering me about relationship advice.” Emma smiled sheepishly.

“Why, are you in a relationship?” Emily suddenly panicked. She hadn’t even asked Emma if she was already with someone.

Emma shook her head, “Nah, Norton is just desperate. Hey, what’s with the flowers?”

Emily looked down at the flowers in her hands. She had almost forgotten she had them. “W-well…” Emily started, “I know you have a fondness for flowers so I thought I’d get you some.”

Emma’s smile brightened even more if possible. “Really? That’s so thoughtful!” Emily held them out to the other girl and Emma took them gratefully, “I love them.” She leaned in slightly and gave Emily a light peck on the cheek before heading into the back room.

Emily stood there for a moment, stunned, before a smile spread across her reddened face. Maybe she could do this after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaand that’s it! I hope you enjoyed this fic because Alpha and I had a lot of fun writing it. Thanks for reading!


End file.
